Emmanuel Macron took Xi Jinping to his childhood vacation spot. A more personal step, which echoes the visit to Canton by the French president, during his visit to China in 2023.
The French president insisted on inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Col du Tourmalet, near the Spanish border, Emmanuel Macron spent his vacations there when he was a child to visit his grandmother. It was a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron last year to the governor’s residence in Guangdong province, where the Chinese president’s father lived.
Snow covered nearby slopes after further snowfall overnight, and security was increased around the area. The winding roads leading to the pass were blocked by authorities on Tuesday for dozens of kilometers.
The mountain visit comes after a grandiose state visit by Xi on Monday, which included a grand welcome to Les Invalides, the monument housing Napoleon’s tomb, followed by a state dinner at the Élysée Palace with celebrities and business leaders.